1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of inflatable structures which are designed to provide buoyancy when located in water environments such as the high seas, rivers, lakes and the like.
A common problem with such inflation devices is the lack of tension existing within the floor area or deck thereof. The present invention provides a novel means for increasing the tension or supporting characteristics of the floor area of such an inflatable structure which is created simultaneously with the inflation of the device itself.
Generally a main flotation member is peripherally located about the outer edge of the deck area. Sometimes an additional flotation member such as an inner flotation member is utilized in the central area to provide an additional amount of buoyancy in the central area of the deck which is furthermost from the buoyancy supplied by the outer flotation device. The present invention provides a means for utilizing this central buoyancy device in a novel manner to simultaneously increase the tension on the deck area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A great number of patents exist within the field of such inflatable devices and three examples of such patents are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,349,897; 1,456,168; and 2,933,739. None of these patents show or suggest the use of a toroidal center section. Also none of the patents specifically deal with the use of a portion of the deck area to comprise directly one of the walls of an essentially located inflatable member.
Many devices include inflatable centrally located inflatable members however these devices have heretofore been configured having their own wall configurations separately and distinct from the deck area itself and as such inflation thereof does not increase the tension in the deck area. In this regard the present invention distinguishes over the above patents and all other such prior art.